Strange Currency

Strange Currency airs six nights a week on KMUW, bringing you new releases, old favorites and forgotten classics. We spotlight local and regional acts, including guests on Currency Exchange, our live in-the-studio program recorded at the KMUW studios.

Jedd Beaudoin invites you to listen 8 to 10pm Monday through Saturday as he opens up his personal music vault and lets you in.

For the third year in row, KMUW 89.1 FM and its music shows Global Village and Strange Currency are winners in the annual Public Radio Exchange (PRX) Zeitfunk Awards. KMUW was Number Two in the category of Most Licensed Station, edging out stations in New York, Chicago, and other major markets.

3:58 pm

Wed October 15, 2014

Friday, October 17: Although he achieved little more than cult status in the United States, Irish-born guitarist Rory Gallagher was well-loved throughout Europe. In 1974 Gallagher and his band mounted a tour of their home country that took them to some of the most troubled parts of Ireland during tumultuous political and social upheaval. The tour went off without incident and Gallagher emerged with one of his quintessential albums, Irish Tour.

Music

2:15 pm

Mon September 29, 2014

Wednesday, October 1: Released in late 1968, Wonderwall Music was the debut solo recording from Beatle George Harrison. Serving as the soundtrack to the film Wonderwall, the album is composed almost entirely of instrumental pieces and is an example of Harrison’s longstanding fascination with Indian music. We’ll hear selections from that album on this episode of Strange Currency as well as music from Floresta, the latest release from singer-songwriter Mia Doi Todd.

Music

2:59 pm

Mon September 22, 2014

Tuesday, September 23: Dead Man’s Town is a recreation of Bruce Springsteen’s classic 1984 album Born In The U.S.A.. It features contributions from Blitzen Trapper, Jason Isbell with Amanda Shires, and the North Mississippi Allstars among others. The album was a multimillion seller for Springsteen and a commercial triumph after his under-selling 1982 release, Nebraska. We’ll hear from both recordings on this episode of the show.

Music

10:36 am

Tue September 16, 2014

Tuesday, September 16: Lateness of Dancers is the latest release from musicians M.C. Taylor and Scott Hirsch who perform under the name Hiss Golden Messenger. The music is acoustic-based and intimate with songs that touch on hard times and the hopes and fears of raising a family, among many other topics. We’ll hear from that recording as well as from lullaby and…the Ceaseless Roar, the latest release from September featured artist Robert Plant.

Music

8:53 am

Mon September 8, 2014

Tuesday, September 9: North Carolina’s Holy Ghost Tent Revival has been praised for its blend of music from the 1960s (especially The Band) and contemporary sounds (think: Dr. Dog). The group’s debut album, The Right State of Mind is out now and we’ll hear from that release on this episode of Strange Currency as well as from Adult Roommates the latest from Somebody’s Darling, a release that appeals to fans of Bonnie Raitt and The Heartless Bastards.

Wed August 20, 2014

Monday, August 25: Look Again To The Wind is a new re-creation of Johnny Cash’s 1964 album Bitter Tears. The original remains perhaps the most controversial in Cash’s career. Concerned with Native American rights the album saw Nashville temporarily turn its back on Cash when the record first emerged. We’ll hear from both the original album and this new tribute, which features Gillian Welch, Kris Kristofferson, Milk Carton Kids, and Steve Earle.

Music

8:34 am

Thu August 14, 2014

Monday, August 18: Chavez Ravine is a 2005 album from Ry Cooder that tells the story of an historically important Los Angeles neighborhood. Although the neighborhood was scheduled to be heavily developed with public housing and a better parks and school system in the 1950s, a series of events forced many of the families in the area to sell their homes, making way for a new stadium which would become home to the Dodgers when the baseball team left New York for Los Angeles.

Music

9:36 am

Fri August 8, 2014

Saturday, August 9: Listen for selections from Close To the Edge, the 1972 album from British progressive rock band Yes. The album was the final to feature founding drummer Bill Bruford and is one of the group’s best-regarded releases. Plus selections from Dogs In The Daylight, the upcoming release from Portland, Oregon-based singer-songwriter Jeffrey Martin. Martin draws influence from songwriters such as Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, and Neil Young.